AI Mode chat replies flood Search Console: conversational queries up 21x across 155 sites
DutchSEOnerd · reddit · 2026-10-15
The GSC Wizard author analyzed 16 months (Jun 2025–Sep 2026) of Search Console data from 155 sites and found Google AI Mode conversation replies are logged as new search queries.
Key findings
- Bare reply artifacts ("yes", "ja graag") rose from 5.6 to 116 per million impressions (21x), appearing on 94 of 155 sites; steepest growth Jan–May 2026.
- Pivot follow-ups ("what about salary") grew 39x; median site's conversational impression share rose 7x (0.032% → 0.22%).
- These queries get clicked only 2.9% vs 35.6% for all queries — publishers get impressions but no visits.
Politeness by language: share of yes-replies containing please/thanks — Scandinavian 88%, German 75%, Dutch 67%, English 40%, Finnish 8%, Indonesian 0%, reflecting language conventions more than manners.
Caveats: Google doesn't label AI Mode traffic (inferred from query shape); conversational queries are still just 0.13% of impressions.
Related event: Study of 155 sites reveals who says 'please' to AI(2 posts)→
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